


The Ideal Moment of Getting Our Shits Together

by soonhoonotes



Series: The Variability of Love [1]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Mentioned Hong Jisoo | Joshua, Past Lives, Slice of Life, University, University Student Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi, University Student Lee Jihoon | Woozi, University Student Lee Seokmin | DK
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:54:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27261583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soonhoonotes/pseuds/soonhoonotes
Summary: Seokmin, on his last year as a psychology student, needs to interview three couples for his completion thesis so he desperately asked for his friends for a not so formal one.(or when he hated Soonyoung and Jihoon's cliche relationship that he doesn't want to include the both of them on his narrative but he's glad that he did.)
Relationships: Hong Jisoo | Joshua/Lee Seokmin | DK, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Jihoon | Woozi
Series: The Variability of Love [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1990501
Comments: 8
Kudos: 56





	The Ideal Moment of Getting Our Shits Together

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, this is my first time writing an english au, a non soc med au, and my first seventeen au! 
> 
> I don't wanna give some expectations with this one so I just hope you liked this hahahahahaha. 
> 
> For song recommendation: I listened to Smile Flower while doing this so you can do the same!

Seokmin woke up just as frustrated as he was last night. He wasn't able to sleep that much thinking about his papers to be passed next week which involved him and finding people to interview. He is on his last year as a Psychology student, about to finish his case study but he might not be able to do it without the help of some people to interview. 

  
It was easy to forge that paper, for heaven's sake but Seokmin wanted to prove something to his professors and graduate with flying colors, he's not that competitive but, he wants to do it for his own growth.

  
Seokmin opened the door of his bedroom and went to the kitchen when he saw Soonyoung , his roommate, on the dining table, eating his own breakfast.

"What the hell happened to you, Min? You look like an accident" Soonyoung asked, genuinely worried about his friend as he was trying also to suppress himself from laughing because of Seokmin's disheveled appearance.

"Nothing." Seokmin replied as he opened the refrigerator, trying to choose between chocolate milk or plain milk for cereals. 

"C'mon, maybe I can help. Do you have something in your mind?" Soonyoung gasps at his sudden realization "Perhaps, did Shua hyung rejected you?" 

Seokmin instantly turned red with the sudden mention of his long time crush, Hong Joshua but he only rolled his eyes with Soonyoung's quick pace of conclusion. 

"No. I haven't even confessed. What's there to reject?" he quickly close the refrigerator and went in front of the dining table, just across Soonyoung's seat.

"Then what's there to think? You got good grades? You're slightly flirting with your crush? You've got a handsome roommate?" 

  
Seokmin scoffed with his roommate's last remarks. Soonyoung just laughed at his response and asked " What? What's there to think? " 

  
Seokmin sighed then sits down and faced his roommate " You see, I need to interview people with different stories of love and relationship, but I need to satisfy my professors by having an extraordinary interview." He brushed his hair with frustration. " I know I can just interview you and Jihoon because you've got an awesome relationship with you being childhood bestfriends and ending up being together shits like that, but that's too cliche." 

Seokmin started massaging his temples while waiting for his roommate's reaction but he didn't got any so he looks back to his friend only to find him smiling at him.

"You don't know that."

"Don't know what?"

"That maybe Jihoon and I's story isn't that cliche" Seokmin raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"Why?"

"Why don't you interview us?" Soonyoung's reassuring smile makes Seokmin rethink his decisions again. What is there to know more about Soonyoung and Jihoon when he has been with them for ages? 

"Perhaps, are you in an open relationship?" sudden stiffness hits Soonyoung to the core. His reflexes quickly took action by hitting Seokmin on his arms.

"Ouch what was that for?!" 

"You're imagination is fucking limitless." and then stood up to wash his dishes. It didn't took long as it is only his. After that, he quickly retrieved his bag next to the seat where he used to sit earlier and walk towards the door.

"Think about it! I'm sure Jihoon and I's story are so fucking magical your professors will bawl their asses out." and laughed as he closes the door, leaving Seokmin in his thoughts. 

—and that's the reason why Jihoon and Soonyoung are in front of him right now, in a wine bar and cafe, talking something about manga as Seokmin is trying to collate all the questions that he'll be asking on the two guys and adjusting the angle of his camera to the point where he can have a nice view of the lovebirds.

"Guys, I already opened the camera but still feel free to talk just how the two of you are talking right now. We'll start in a bit." The two nodded and went back to their own world of manga tales and laughing about such scenes. 

It took Seokmin around 15 minutes to finish everything, from the preparation and the formal set up just to give his last case study a high marks.

"I actually thought Seokmin is just grade conscious, but I didn't know he was this competitive." Jihoon said as he was shaking his newly ordered mango smoothie and Soonyoung just laughed at him 

"Well, what do we expect from Lee Seokmin, the guy who wants to impress everyone..." Soonyoung said bright-eyed anticipating Lee Jihoon to join him on the next phrase 

"especially Hong Jisoo" the two of them said in sync making the two of them instantly pull of a high five and laugh at their tandem to piss off Seokmin. 

"Why am I even friends with you?" Seokmin just rolled his eyes and then disregarded the opinion of the both of them and proceeded with the interview. 

"Okay let's start with the introduction. Jihoon, you first." Seokmin uttered as he is looking at his notes. Jihoon cleared his throat and started speaking.

"Hi, I am Lee Jihoon. I am on my last year as a Music Major. I've been friends with Seokmin since first year college." He looked at Soonyoung and passed the lapel to him. Soonyoung fixed his position on his chair as he talks " Hi I am Kwon Soonyoung. I am a dance major. I've also been friends with Seokmin since first year college." 

"Okay, can you talk about how the two of you met?" Jihoon and Soonyoung looked at each other and started talking with their eye-to-eye contact as they are trying to figure out who will answer. Jihoon gently snatched the lapel to Soonyoung's hand.

  
"Soonyoung and I were friends since birth, I guess. His mom and my mom are bestfriends. My mom is a single parent so basically, his mom and him company us almost everyday. Everyday we meet up to play, we sleep in the same bed whenever my mom has to work late, we go to each other's relative gatherings. His cousins know me, my aunts know him. Basically, we're almost living together." Jihoon chuckled by the thought of him and Soonyoung having their whole life together. Soonyoung was just looking at him with deep adoration, like he's life depends on it, that he already sacrficed his life with him. 

  
Seokmin isn't really sure what's the extraordinary thing about these two but I guess he can still find two other more couple. He just adored the relationship of these two. The constant upbringing of each other, the ride or die support of both of them, and how they can still be independently involved to what they want. 

Seokmin loves his two friends. If he can write what of type love does he want, he'll write the story of Jihoon and Soonyoung because for him, no one can be as genuine and pure as these lovebirds. Sometimes, he's also jealous of the two because only rare people find love like them. Only few are chosen to be this happy. 

"Okay Soonyoung, what was your happiest memory when you are with Jihoon?" Seokmin look both of his friends leaning in to hear what Soonyoung is about to say. Soonyoung dropped his look on the floor with a smile on his face everyday. 

"I can look at him all day and say that it's the happiest memory of my life." and looks back to Jihoon who is now blushing. He gently pushed Soonyoung and turned away, bursting into laughter. 

"You do remember that i'm still here, right?" Seokmin said with mocking annoyance at what the two are doing right in front of his interview. God these lovebirds was the only thing that he was able to say about it. Soonyoung raised his two hands in surrender and crossed his legs 

"Sorry! Continue!" displaying a wide grin where his cheeks are prominent in the sight of everyone. Seokmin mockingly rolled his eyes but also laugh at the mere sight of his two friends flirting in front of him.

"How about you, Jihoon? What's the happiest memory when you are with Soonyoung?" Remembering Seokmin's expression earlier, Jihoon tried to think of what really was the happiest memory that he got when he was with Soonyoung. 

"Oh I remember one." 

_Flashback_

_"Seriously Soons what are we doing here? We might get caught. It's almost midnight." Jihoon said while he was being dragged by Soonyoung on the rooftop of their school during their high school days._

_"C'mon are we seriously going to leave this place without having too much memories from here? and besides, I won't let us get caught, silly. I am Kwon Soonyoung." He said with a playful grin making Jihoon smile as well. He surely love this guy._

_Tomorrow, will be their high school graduation. After staying here for almost half of their life (as they studied in here since pre-school), they are finally going to say goodbye to this school. The school where Jihoon discovered that he has a thing for music, where Soonyoung started to realize that he is in line with dance, and how they found themselves romantically in love while discovering their individual personalities. Yes, this school will surely be missed._

_The way to rooftop is tough as it is closed to public. There are so many struggles, where they have to go across under construction rooms and frail floor bases. Within around five minutes of struggling and pure complaining from Jihoon to Soonyoung, they finally reached the rooftop._

_Jihoon immediately noticed that there's a big paper made balloon on the other side of the rooftop. He immediately put on his glasses to check if he is seeing the right thing and found out that it is a sky lantern._

  
_"What the hell? Where did you get that?" Soonyoung looked back to him and smiled._

  
_"I told you we will never leave this place without saying goodbye formally." He intertwined his fingers with Jihoon's and lead him in front of the sky lantern. Soonyoung immediately opened his bag and retrieved two markers and candle from it. He gave the other marker to Jihoon. Jihoon looked at him with confusion._

_"How did you even get this lantern and safely put it here?"_

_"Uh it's not even that hard to bring that up here. I just set it up here before bring bringing you."_

_"For someone who's lazy to do requirements, you're surely giving an effort on this one."_

_"Sorry, Mr. Valedictorian but I only expressed efforts on the love of my life." Jihoon faked his vomit by what Soonyoung said_

_"Cringey." the both of them laugh for a while, feeling the moment, without even getting worried of being caught day before they graduate. It's this moment where you never wanted it to finish, because they knew after this everything will change. Everything will be as good as new. Old habits do die hard, and you can't help but to grow._

_"So, what will I do with this marker? Should I stab you in the eye? " Jihoon looked at Soonyoung trying to refrain himself from laughing, placing his hands on his hips. Soonyoung smirked._

_"You can do that?" silence filled the atmosphere only hearing the wind that came out of the cloud by midnight and how that silence can be filled with adoration that they have for each other._

  
_"I can't. " Jihoon smiled and opened the marker. "C'mon what to put in this one?" looked back at the lantern in front of them._

_Soonyoung giggled because of Jihoon and replied_

_"Just put all of the things you want us to achieve on college and in the future." Jihoon nodded, understanding what his boyfriend said and started writing on the paper lantern_

  
_Jihoon:_

_— Be a famous composer on my future university_   
_— To write songs for my future company_   
_— To be happy_   
_— To graduate without any delays_   
_— To be with Soonyoung with all my success_   
_— Life- long relationship with him (ugh as if I let go of this tiger)_

  
_Soonyoung_   
_— pursue dance degree_   
_— to be able to perform on a national collegiate dance competition_   
_— to be happy_   
_— to graduate with Jihoon_   
_— to be with Jihoon until time permits_   
_—Life- long happiness with him (given!!!)_

_After writing their wishes, Soonyoung lit up the candles and transferred it inside the lantern until it has blown too much for their wishes to be visible and to fly up in the sky. Once the lantern was starting to flew, Jihoon leaned on Soonyoung's shoulder as the other one put his arms on the younger's shoulders._

_"Now, we can finally say goodbye to this school full with our hopes that our dreams will come true." Soonyoung removed his arm to face Jihoon and intently looked into the other's eyes. He lifted Jihoon's chin, moving to get closer to him and finally sealed his lips into Jihoon's._

_Love has always been this magical for them, Jihoon thinks. Smiling in between the kiss. Thinking how it's nice to have Soonyoung with him._

_Once their lips parted, Soonyoung asked " What were you thinking while we were kissing?"_

_Ji_ _hoon shook his head, giving Soonyoung a yearning look._

_"_ _I hope everything in that lantern will come true."_

Jihoon ended his story with a smile, receiving an intense look from Soonyoung, not with lust, but with deep affection. He was too lost on Soonyoung's eyes that he didn't notice Seokmin's getting teary eyed and cracked his voice as he started speaking again. Seokmin cleared his throat. 

"I hate you both for making me jealous. How can you be so selfish with a perfect relationship and perfect plan for the future? You didn't even tried to spare me some of that intense feelings and emotions and i'm still here thinking about academics and worrying the shit out of my life if i'll even have a decent job after this fucking interview or if Jisoo will even glance a shit of me, instead of a cadaver from his anatomy class. I hate that you fulfilled every thing on that lantern." Seokmin sniffed in between looking on his collated notes, and pacing what to ask next.

  
"We didn't. " Seokmin stopped in between his tears and looked immediately on Soonyoung.

  
"What do you mean you didn't? Come on, you got to dance on UDA. Jihoon is known here in University as "Woozi" of 101.9 FMz with his own compositions — oh I get it! Yeah you didn't graduate on time since you're supposed to graduate last year. Okay. Okay that's stupid of me to fo—" 

"We broke up." Jihoon said.

Silence filled their parts on wine bar and cafe, only hearing the orders coming from the counter and other people chatting around. Seokmin's eyes widened by the sudden reveal coming from his two friends and laughed by the thought of the two pulling up a prank on him. 

"NO— " Seokmin gasped for air and look above to contain his annoyance "NO— YOU'RE JOKING RIGHT? YOU CAN'T BREAK UP. YOU HAVE THE PERFECT RELATIONSHIP. I AM HERE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU LOOKING AT EACH OTHER LIKE YOU'RE ABOUT TO EAT EACH OTHER WITH LOVE. WHY? HAH NO. I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THIS." Seokmin crossed his arms like he really disagreed. He can't believe it's happening and he can't believe this two have the audacity to pull a prank on him in the middle of his interview for his case study. He thought maybe this is just to fulfill his satisfaction with a different type of love story. 

Seokmin looked at Soonyoung "Soons, if this is just a way to make a shocking story for my thesis. I don't want this. Fuck you, stop acting. You're not doing this for my thesis, right? because you fucking love each other, you are good for each other, you—" Seokmin kept blabbering about things until he came to a realization.

  
"—you're not joking..." Soonyoung smiled and shook his head and looked at Jihoon. 

Seokmin gasped making other people look at their direction but he couldn't care less. That one relationship he promised that if it ended, he will never believe in love anymore—ended, without his knowledge. 

"Since when?" he said while massaging his temples. He surely had enough for today.

"Last month?" Soonyoung replied. He only earned another disbelief from Seokmin. 

"FUCK THAT LONG??????????" Seokmin shouted receiving glares from other customers but he only responded to them with raised eyebrows and mouthing "WHAT?" 

"Why are you hiding it? " Seokmin asked with disapproving look to the two. He is in no right to dictate what the two decide upon their relationship but hiding it to their friends is a different story. 

"We're not hiding it. We just went back to our usual, to what we are, when we were bestfriends." Seokmin could not contain his amusement by how this two people answer. They just fucking broke up and they still act they are going to marry each other. He pointed the eyes of the two.

  
"Oh c'mon if that look makes you think that you are friends, then me and Jisoo are fucking acquaintances. " Seokmin shook his head, voicing in denial as he still can't believe his two friends have broken up. 

  
"Not strangers? " Soonyoung asked in his playful grin but only earned an attempt of notebook being thrown from Seokmin. He immediately held Jihoon's arms in an attempt to cover him with Jihoon's. 

  
"Stop interfering with my relationship. Worry about yours, Kwon." 

"As if you are not interfering with mine now." 

"You asked for this interview."

"Because you needed it. "

  
"Oh shut up this is not exactly our topic." 

The unlimited bickering from both Soonyoung and Seokmin only earned a couple of giggle and chuckle from Jihoon but Seokmin is not entertained by what's happening right now. His two closest friend, has called it quits for a month and he has no idea. What is he even doing within those times? He is getting headache as he is being drown to the thoughts of what happened to the day Soonyoung and Jihoon broke up. 

  
"Why are you laughing, Lee? Are you happy seeing me miserable that the only relationship I yearned for is now gone? " the happiness from Jihoon faded as he realized the impact of their relationship to everyone— Seokmin on the other hand, immediately regretted what he said. _Stupid Seokmin. Can't you atleast control your thoughts. You're thinking out loud._

  
"No—No— I'm sorry I was insensitive. I was just shocked. Wth is happening? Why? " Seokmin is hopeful that he will atleast get a reason from the both of them because he clearly cannot comprehend what is happening. 

"We've been together for a long time that we were just consistent." Seokmin's brows furrowed by the thought.

"Isn't that what's good? Consistency." Jihoon shook his head. 

"Consistency on our relationship, yes we are. so fucking consistent. But us individually? No. Both of us are changing and the thought of us growing apart—it suffocated us. Until we realized, this thing we had for each other isn't for us anymore." Jihoon faked a smile. 

"Jihoon and I.. we were so good together. We compliment each other. Even our wants are aligned. He was a singer and composer, I was a dancer but.. " Soonyoung dropped his look on the floor "do you ever feel that moment where you think, you're just stuck there? It has always been that if there's Jihoon, there's Soonyoung. If there's Soonyoung, there's Jihoon? That... that's it? I wanted to be known as Soonyoung because I am Soonyoung. I want Jihoon to be known as Jihoon because he is Jihoon. Not because Jihoon is Soonyoung's boyfriend and I am Jihoon's boyfriend. " Seokmin cannot even think that it's the thing that's running to their relationship. He always thought that Jihoon and Soonyoung got each other's backs and that ride or die will get them to eternity, but being together, suffocated them? He never saw them as that couple. He even complimented them before for being each other's rock, so why is this happening? 

"We're not like that." Seokmin muttered in low tone but Soonyoung heard it. 

"Of course we're friends but other people thinks otherwise." Soonyoung sighed as he look into Jihoon's finished glass of smoothie. 

"But you almost have the time of your lives together? I'm sorry to say this but, aren't you just being dramatic of change?" Jihoon hold Seokmin's hand. Seokmin's tears are starting to fill his eyes out. He is so damn affected by the relationship of his closest friend. Ofcourse, it has always been the three of them even if they belong to a bigger circle, at the end of the day it's Jihoon-Soonyoung-Seokmin so he feels betrayed that he hasn't grasped any news from the break up. 

  
"We don't want to kill the remaining relationship that we have, Min. If Soonyoung and I will still be intact with our relationship together, it will only suffocate us more on the long run and that remaining relationship that we're trying to keep will fade, and we don't want that. Seok, we never experienced being strangers. Hell, we never experienced fighting but our internal feelings are screaming for difference so we started taking action on it."

  
— and then it hit Seokmin. 

  
"You wanted to do things separately because you've been together for a long time and you got curious of the change... is that it? " Jihoon nodded. Seokmin felt crying. He hates to be romantically involved anymore. 

A sudden spark of question appeared in a flash in his mind. 

"Are you still going to be together after you fulfilled things separately?" Jihoon chuckled and held Seokmin's back for a hug. 

"I don't know what kind of future there is for us, but I still hope after this phase.. " Jihoon looked at Soonyoung who is already looking at him. "We'll come back to each other's arms. That is— we won't find any other people for us. " Soonyoung avoided Jihoon's gaze by the thought of him or Jihoon finding another guy in their lives. The consistency suffocated them but the change terrifies them at the same time. 

"I refuse to let that happen." Seokmin sulked. He stood up and turn off the recorder. He wants to change the mood because if he doesn't, he'll sulk about this issue for the whole day and it will only affect him and Jisoo in the evening, since the latter asked him to have dinner together. He looked to the loveb- exes. 

"Not gonna lie, you gave me a nice piece for my interview, you fucktards. I even bawled my eyes out. " He retrieved a piece of tissue and throw it to Soonyoung. Luckily, Soons was able to catch it. " This is the thing that you think will bawl my professors' eyes out, you motherfucker. I am not a professor but look what you've done to my face. I look like a wreck." 

  
  


"I always knew you'll be shocked. You're the number one supporter of this " pointing him and Jihoon repeatedly. 

  
"How can you even look at each other with adoration knowing you're not together anymore? and you even have the audacity with that answer and I quote _"I can look at him all day and say that it's the happiest memory of my life.",_ you manipulative bitch. " Seokmin pointed out Soonyoung with disgust as he is complaining about how both of his friends made a fool out of him.

Soonyoung just glanced at Jihoon before speaking. 

  
"We were bestfriends before anything else but Seok and i'm not lying, I still love him but— love ain't enough to keep everything going. You also need to have yourself and get your shit together. How can you love someone as good as Jihoon, if you're broken and damaged. " Jihoon nodded with his approving look and muttered "—and vice versa" 

"Wow. I can't believe you two." Seokmin let out a frustrated sigh " Please treat me a coffee. You're stressing the shit out of me." the two laughed. Jihoon immediately retrieved money from his wallet and gave it to Soonyoung "that's my share, and buy me as well." Soonyoung gets Jihoon's money.

"Same old order? Iced Americano?" Soonyoung asked.

Jihoon shookt his head. 

" I want to try Caramel Macchiato this time." Soonyoung nodded and proceeded to order their respective coffees.

  
_— they can get through this._

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this, if ever you reached this part. I am sorry for not completing the tags. I'm afraid i'll spoil the flow of the story if ever I completed it. 
> 
> I'm about to put Seokmin's interview by series if ever this thing received a nice response! Stay safe everyone!
> 
> Follow me on twitter : @_soonhyucks !


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